Trace-buckle



(NoModeL) 0. MALLORY.

TRACE BUCKLE. No. 318,572. Patented May 26, 1885.

ivrrn rarns ATENT Grinch.

OGDEN MALLORY, OF AUBURN, CALIFORNIA.

TRACE-BUCKLE.

LTLPEQIFECATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 318,572, dated May 26,1885.

(N0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OGDEN iWIALLoRY, of Auburn, county of Placer, and State of California, have invented an Improvement in Trace-Buckles; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descrip tion thereof.

My invention relates to that class of buckles used to connect the trace with the hame-tug; and my invention consists, broadly, in the combination, in a single buckle, of devices for engaging and holding the trace, and for engaging directly and holding a strap at right angles to the trace, and which forms a continuous saddle and belly strap for one side of the harness, or the billet of either the saddle or belly strap for the other side of the harness.

My invention further consists in the arrangement and construction of the plates and links hereinafter described, by which these results are effected, and also by which the buckle may be made to answer, when desirable, the single purpose of connecting the trace to the haine-tug, all of which I shall hereinafter fully explain.

The object of my invention is to provide a buckle which is adapted not only to engage the trace and secure it to the hame-tug, but also to directly engage a strap at right angles to the trace, and extending above and below it, said strap, as I have before mentioned, being either a continuous or combined saddle or pad strap and belly-strap, or the billet" of either strap, according to which side of the harness it may be on. The advantage of this provision I shall hereinafter explain.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of the plate A and link B. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the plate 13 and link 0. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the buckle, showing its application. Fig. is a perspective View of a modified buckle.

A is the inner plate. It consists of a central body-piece, a, side pieces, a, and cars a at the front, having elongated slots u Between the side pieces and the body-piece are formed slots a for the reception of the appropriate strap. The side pieces do not lie in the same plane with the body-piece, and therefore the slots have a depth which permits the strap to pass through in a straight position, lying in front of the body-piece and behind the side pieces. On the body-pieee are one or more tongues, a, for engaging the strap. These tongues are preferably to be placed on the edges of the body-piece, so as to be above or below the trace, or both above and below, as here shown, whereby they do not interfere with the free working of the trace. They are to engage their own strap and not the trace.

' B is the outer plate, consisting of a straight fiat piece provided on its sides with angleflanges b, extending inwardly, a lip, I), on its forward end, with shoulders Ir, a tongue, I)", on the inner side of thelip, a transverse sock et, b, and a loop, b at its rear end. I11 the socket Zfi is pivoted the link 0, the legs of which are provided with cross feet or lugs c.

D is a link having on its sides the bearinglugs d. Eisthe hame-tug; F, is the trace, and G is a strap which may be considered as a continuous or combined saddle and belly strap, or the billetof either- The link D is pivoted in a loop in the rear end of the hame-tug, and its bearing-lugs d areloosely mounted or pivoted in the elongated slots a in the cars a of the inner plate, A. The legs of the link 0 are passed in through the side slots, (6, of said plate, and the cross feet or lugs c of said link engage from behind in the rear ends of said slot-s, whereby the said link is pivoted and forms a double pivot connected between the plates A B. The strap G is passed down through the slots (6 of plate A, and its holes are engaged by the tongues a The trace passes through the link Oand between the rear ends of the two plates, its sides being embraced by the flanges b of the outer plate. It lies just outside and upon the strap G, is engaged by the tongue I) of plate B, and thence passes through the keeper of the hame-tug. The link D is then turned over upon the lip b of plate B, being limited by the shoulders b and the various engagements are complete. Both the trace and the strap Gr lie perfectly straight, and there is no tendency to kink. A force tending to separate the trace and harnetug has the following efi'ect: Because of the engagement of tongue I) with the trace and the attachment of link D to the hame-tug, the plates A B strive to move in opposite direc tions; but such a movement is limited bythe links D, which, engaging" both plates b'ya pivot-connection, simply clamp them firmly together, and the greater the strain the greater the clamping effect. Such is the general operation of the buckle.

The object of the elongated slots a in the cars a! of the inner plate, and in which the bearing-lugs (Z of the link D loosely play, is to enable said link to have movement enough to be readily and easily fitted over and removed from the lip I) of the outer plate.

In the lip b is made ashallow groove or concave port-ion, b, in which thelink D rests, and by which it is kept in place;

In some cases I can, by slightly modifying my buckle, make of it a simple trace-buckle. This I show in Fig. 4. the samein general construction, though shortcued. The plate A is modified by shortening and by dispensing with the central body portion, a, and the slots to, and leaving a single transverse slot or opening, a, the sides lying even with the trace and curving upwardly slightly at their centers. of two separated cross feet or lugs, has one continuous bar, and is made to engage the inner plate by passing the whole of plate B through the transverse slot a, and the link, also, until limited by its cross-bar.

The action of the buckle is the same as in the I first case, as far as the clamping of the trace-is ing the trace and engaging the rear of the inner plate, and the link D, pivoted in the hametug and forward end of the outer plate and embracing said outer plate, substantially as herein described.

2. In a trace-buckle, the slottedinner plate, A, having slotted ears a at its forward end, and

The plate B remains" The link 0, insteadthe outer plate,- B, having a lip, b, and a tongue, b at its forward, end, in combination with the link 0, pivoted in the rear end of plate B and in the rear of the slotted plate A, and the link D, having side bearing-lugs, d, loosely pivoted in the slotted ears of plate A, said link being pivoted in the heme-tug and adapted to fit over the lip b of the plate B, substantially as herein described.

3. A trace buckle comprising the inner plate, A, formed with a depressed center or body portion, a, having tongues a above and below, side portions, a, forming guiding-slots a, and forward cars, a, having elongated slots a, the outer plate, B, formed with a lip, b,and a tongue, N, at its forward end, anda socket, b", at its rear'end, the link 0, pivoted in socket b and having cross feet or lugs 0, adapted to pivot in the rear of the slots a of plate A, and the link I),-pivoted in the rear of the hame tug, and having side bearinglugs, d, pivoted looselyin the slotted ears of plateA, saidlink being adapted to fit over the lip I) of plate B, substantially as herein described.

i -A trace buckle comprising the inner plate,.A, formed with a depressed center or body portion, a, having tongues a above and below, side portion, a, forming slots a and forward cars, at", having elongated slots (i the outer plate, B, formed with side flanges,- I), a lip, b, with a bed-groove, Z), and tongue 5 at its forward end, and a socket, b, and loop I) at its rear end, the link 0, pivoted in the socket b and having cross feet or lugs 0, adapted to pivot in the rear of the slots of plate A,and the link D, pivoted in-the rear of the hametug, and side bearing-lugs, d, pivoted loosely in the slotted ears of plate A, said linkbeing adapted to fit over the lip b of plate B and rest in the bed-groove b, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

OGDEN MALLORY.

\Vitnesses:

J. WV. SMITH, XV. S. GRAHAM. 

